In mid July I drove my son to Boy Scout camp in New York's Adirondak Park. It is six hours away from home and I was invited to stay at the camp. I choose instead to make a quick overnight visit to Lake Lila before heading home. Little Tupper Lake lies on the route to the scout camp and I've never before seen it without whitecaps; this year, it was glass. Lake Lila shares Little Tupper's reputation for wind but for my visit, also glass.
I was lucky to find site 1 (just off the portage trail) empty. I figured I'd have to visist a few sites to find one unoccupied but happily The first was free. There was a kayak pulled up on the trail to site one and I worried I might have to move on but a day-paddler I met suggested it might be the ranger's and I'd better not touch it.
I took a couple phone photos on my way in after returning to my car to collect my gear. I didn't see another human being after 4:00pm. I hung my food about 75 yards from my campsite near the beach and proceeded to set up camp and prepare to make dinner (Mountain House Itialian Pepper Steak). I collected plenty of firewood for my Solo Stove to make dinner and have a little campfire while I ate. I proved my hiking boots are still waterproof by wading out - ankle deep - to collect water. After setting up my stove and pot and water, I walked back to my food hang thinking how lucky I was that there were no mosquitos or other annoying insect pests. I was immediately uncomfortable with my thought and wished I could take it back.
I started a fire in my Solo Stove and put on a pot of water to re-hydrate my meal. No sooner than I sat back in my chair to watch the water boil than my misgivings were realized. I was swarmed by mosquitos and, perhaps, other similar flying insects. I was wearing picaridin on my exposed skin and permethrin everywhere else. The bugs weren't biting but were everywhere around me. Eating my reflective zip lock bag of dinner, I found it difficult to avoid eating some portion of the swarm.
I finished my meal, packed the refuse in my food bag, and waited for the fire to die. After the coals were cold and their company gone, I walked my food bag back to it's hang noting again that the swarm had abated. I returned to my site and made it ready for the predicted rain. After stashing my pack and chair under the tarp I looked up to see a tiny patch of sky with more stars than I see any night at home. I went back to the beach and spent the next half an hour staring at the sky. I stopped when my neck hurt too bad to continue. I returned to my campsite and retired hoping the clear skies meant the forecast was wrong. I settled in my nest and listened to my (not-human) neighbors until I fell asleep.
4:30am - a coyote howled six long howls and barked like a dog six times after. It was loud. I jolted awake. I'd never before heard a cyote this close or a call quite like what I'd heard. There was no response call. I convinced myself that by the volume and direction that it was on my food - over the pounding of my heart I figured "it's just an overnight, I can stop for breakfast if the food is gone". I laid in my hammock for the next half an hour waiting to hear the rustle of brush or footfalls. I recognized just after waking that I had to pee yet I lay still, waiting, wishing my hiking poles were closer. A sharp knife would send an inquisitive coyote on his way, right?
About 5:00am I heard a coyote call from what sounded like the other side of the lake and a response call from much closer, but not nearly as close as half an hour before. A couple minutes later and the familiar call and response, this time the response even farther away. I was bold enough now to answer nature's call. I marked the edge of my campsite on the trail in the direction I'd heard the original call. I returned to my nest comforted by the retreating coyote calls.
I woke hours later, well rested, to the unmistakable call of people. I got up to look and saw two men in a canoe paddling towards the take-out talking in what was to me inappropriately loud voices. I strolled down to the beach and met them on one of several trips to bring their gear up to the car. Nice enough folks ending their annual week on Lake Lila - I was a little jealous. I saw on my way to the beach that my food was undisturbed, I collected my food bag and hanging kit on my way back to my campsite. I reflected on my early morning scare and decided that I was happy to have had the experience.
I made breakfast - Starbucks Frech Roast Via and Mountain House Scrambled eggs with Bacon. Not really much like scrambled eggs with bacon but the flavor was similar and so was the texture. I was happy with the hot meal. I packed up and got out for my six hour drive home.
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Originally Posted by Shug
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